(Past Review) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Remake) - Marcus Nispel

I usually shy away from remakes (it's a principle thing I think!) but I decided to give this one a chance -- I should have stayed away. First off, the good points: the cinematography is striking, the atmosphere is very dark, which would have faired better in another movie (Haute Tension perhaps!). Secondly, R. Lee Erney does some excellent work as the sheriff, yet , unfortunately, his character mellowed out a little too much for me in the end.

The bad points are clearly reflective on what Hollywood does not understand about horror movies, especially in the remake category. Leatherface was a joke, he looked and acted like a buffoon (don't tell me that is the result of inbreeding!) and his presence was too consistent in the movie and disabled the tension found in the original. I can't count how many times Gunnar Hansen (the original Leatherface) scared the living crap out of me in the original. I remember when actors, who were nobodies at the time, were cast in horror films and eventually surfaced with larger and more successful careers; it is the exact opposite now as far as I am concerned. The attempt to make a remake 'cooler' by casting television stars in the leading roles undermines the whole pathos of horror.

Being a fan of seventies horror, I have seen my fair share of perky breasts and jean-fitted asses within the horror genre, yet it was often to pull you away from what was about to happen, it was rarely a substitute to a bad script. Bouncing breasts and dirty bottoms are an embellishment to a good horror film from the seventies, not a replacement for a good story.

Two crucial scenes were also missing in the remake and perhaps this is a good thing considering they might have tarnished the originals: the girl in the freezer and the supper with Grandpa. The famous 'Leatherface slamming the meat shop door lost its original panache.

What frightened me the most about the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre was its ambiguity; the kid from Ring, the hitchhiker and the baby, and the skin disease are sad attempts of any type of summation and, in turn, kill the whole feel of the movie.